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United States Patent |
6,178,678
|
Stoddard
|
January 30, 2001
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Menu board graphics display
Abstract
A menu board offering quick and easy changes thereto by a user is
disclosed. The menu board comprises plural channels defined by T-shaped
flanges, and which are sized to slidably receive and retain a plurality of
inserts in the channels thereof in an operative or display position. The
inserts are sized to be readily removed and replaced on the menu board by
being lifted within the respective channels and to be freed therefrom,
such that the user can selectively replace an insert with new or updated
sales information graphics, as desired, without disturbing an adjacent
insert or inserts in the menu board. The sales information graphic is not
limited to the size of the channels on the menu board, but may
transversely span any desired number of channels, and be of various
lengths to provide relatively large non-linear graphic display areas.
Inventors:
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Stoddard; David C F (Atlanta, GA)
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Assignee:
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Miller/Zell, Inc. (Atlanta, GA)
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Appl. No.:
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978498 |
Filed:
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November 25, 1997 |
Current U.S. Class: |
40/618 |
Intern'l Class: |
G09F 007/02 |
Field of Search: |
40/618,657,605,654
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
2795876 | Jun., 1957 | Hayes | 40/1.
|
4367604 | Jan., 1983 | Porter, II et al.
| |
5224610 | Jul., 1993 | Veazey.
| |
5357701 | Oct., 1994 | Grate.
| |
5367800 | Nov., 1994 | Nelson | 40/18.
|
5487231 | Jan., 1996 | Grate | 40/618.
|
5588238 | Dec., 1996 | Visocky et al. | 40/618.
|
Foreign Patent Documents |
354488 | Feb., 1990 | EP | 40/605.
|
399957 | Nov., 1990 | EP | 40/605.
|
Other References
Hubert catalog excerpt, Euroline Price Tags (Date Unknown).
|
Primary Examiner: Davis; Cassandra H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Carlyle; Womble
Sandridge & Rice, PLLC
Claims
I claim:
1. A menu board for advertising graphic and sales information comprising:
a planar back panel having a plurality of horizontally dispose channels
defined by a plurality of off-set members extending perpendicular to said
planar back panel, wherein each of said off-set members are T-shaped and
each has a spaced pair of opposed legs extending parallel to said planar
back panel;
filler blocks sized for sliding engagement within at least one of said
channels between said back panel and said pair of opposed legs, said
filler blocks being received vertically behind a first said opposed leg of
a first off-set member and a second said opposed leg of an adjacent second
off-set member and movable to a raised position free from said second
opposed leg of said second off-set member for ease of removal from said
channel;
at least one graphic display panel adapted to be releasibly mountable on
said filler blocks; and
means for mounting said at least one graphic display panel on said filler
blocks to enable said at least graphic display panel to be readily mounted
and replaced on said menu board.
2. The menu board of claim 1 wherein said means for mounting comprises hook
and loop fastening members applied to said filler blocks and said graphic
display panel for releasibly mounting said graphic display panel to said
filler blocks.
3. The menu board of claim 1 and wherein said graphic display panel
comprises a single large dimension panel.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates in general to advertising displays. More
particularly, the invention relates to a menu board graphics display
constructed and arranged for the quick and easy change of
advertising/display messages placed on the menu board.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a menu board offering changeable
pricing and graphics for providing greater flexibility in usage so that
changes to the offerings and messages communicated by the display may be
quickly and efficiently changed.
The film developing business represents a prime example where the needs
offered by the present invention can be utilized. Film developing services
have evolved over the last several decades, from developing conventional
black and white film, to the present services of one-hour or overnight
film developing services, in which a wide variety of film types and sizes,
selective film finishes, and other services and products may be selected
by the consumer. To adapt to these variety of services, and to remain
competitive, store owners and managers must be able to adjust quickly and
to make changes to retail prices, messages, and advertisement displays for
products and services, and to convey those options and prices clearly to
the consumer. Further, brand images for national and private labels play
an important part in establishing consumer confidence in the product
offering and the developing process, and must be communicated to the
customer for his ease in recognizing the values offered by the retail
establishment. Image recognition also serves as a buying impetus. There
may also be marketing agreements with manufacturers having well known
logos that have to be incorporated into the overall rendition of the
information system. The present invention provides a suitable mechanism to
satisfy these needs.
There have been various attempts by others to try and meet certain of these
needs, but none offer a system that is as complete and efficient as
demonstrated by this invention. The various attempts are reflected in the
patents discussed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,604, to Porter, II et al., discloses a menu board
including a housing containing a light source, a translucent front panel,
and a plurality of parallel, spaced ribs with flanges attached to the face
of the panel to support pictorial and alpha-numeric information. One
embodiment thereof includes a plurality of substantially parallel flanges
extending along the outer surface of the menu board and arranged such that
indicia bearing cards or strips can be inserted between adjacent flanges
by placing the top edge of a strip, for example, in the space between the
board and the downwardly extending portion of a flange, and then between
the board and the upwardly extending portion of a spaced flange.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,610, to Veazey, discloses a permanent, wall mounted
display panel board featuring plural, horizontally disposed L-shaped
hanger arms and related snap arms for receiving one or a plural number of
profile members, where each such member includes a hanger arm along its
top and a complementary snap arm along its bottom. When the profile hanger
arm of the profile member is hung on the top of the hanger arm of the wall
bracket, the profile member is suspended therefrom. Further, when the
respective snap arms are pressed into releasable engagement with one
another, the profile member is securely held on the wall bracket.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,701, to Grate, discloses a display device similar to
Veazey, and which discloses upper and spaced lower L-shaped rails with a
pair of intermediate T-shaped rails having legs thereof spaced from a
panel wall. Sliding insert panels, bearing information thereon, cooperate
with any two of the rails, where different size insert panels may also be
used.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,800, to Nelson, discloses an interchangeable display
system for mounting to a support backing. The mounting includes a support
backing with upper, center, and lower face panels mounted to the support
backing and spaced forwardly of the support backing with two elongate
slots extending lengthwise between the respective face display elements.
They cooperate with the upper slot, and a lower mounting hook on the back
of the respective display elements cooperates with the lower slot so that
the two hooks retain the display element and can slide along the
respective slots to assemble and disassemble the display element in
position in front of the mounting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,231, to Grate, discloses a vertically positioned
attraction board having a plurality of horizontal parallel tracks, where
each track includes an upper and a lower lip for retaining a figure panel
therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,238, to Visocky et al., discloses another type of sign
carrier system or menu board utilizing rails for slidably receiving
information containing strips. The system thereof includes a frame
comprising laterally spaced vertical or longitudinally extending grid
guide rail members that have tracks, and are joined at their upper and
lower ends by laterally extending cross rails to form a rigid and
permanent carrier frame. Modular information grid units are adapted to
slide on the guide rails, one after another, to span across the space
between the vertical guide rails of the carrier frame.
Despite the presence of these patents, however, a need remains for a menu
board graphics display which is of relatively simple construction, and
thus lower cost, and yet which provides the features of allowing the user
to quickly and easily change the display graphics placed on the menu board
graphics display. There is also a need for such an improved menu board
graphics display which can be used with modular display insert assemblies
having graphics display information provided therewith, and which can be
easily changed when, and as, desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes some of the design deficiencies of the
prior art by providing an improved menu board graphics display of simple
design and construction, which is easy to use, and which can be suspended
from the walls or ceiling of a store, or by means of a free-standing
support. In a preferred embodiment, the menu board includes at least one
channel, and preferably a plurality of multi-channel extrusions which are
adapted to receive large graphics and pricing displays mounted thereon by
means such as double-sided adhesive tape, channel filler extrusion inserts
for the support of smaller menu slats or sign blanks, or modular display
insert assemblies. The channel filler extrusion inserts are constructed
and arranged to be slidably received within any one of the channels. With
the channel filler inserts so received, a space is provided between the
retaining wall segments or legs of the multi-channel extrusion and the
channel filler extrusion insert for the insertion of a menu slat or sign
blank. This eliminates the need for prominent horizontal dividers between
menu slats.
Alternately, a modular display insert assembly containing a plurality of
openings for the insertion of accordion-like number sets can be inserted
into the channels of the multi-channel extrusion. The use of such number
sets allows for easy manipulation of pricing and offers significant
flexibility to the user thereof.
As a further feature hereof, the novel combination of a short upper lip and
long lower lip of spaced, parallel T-shaped channel forming members of the
menu board, which define the forward boundary of each channel, enables the
user to quickly and easily insert and/or change out the channel filler
extrusion inserts and display assemblies at any position along the channel
lengths.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention is to allow a user to
replace messages, rearrange offerings and messages, or to add offerings
and messages quickly and efficiently without changing or replacing the
entire menu board graphics display.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved menu board
graphics display which allows a user thereof to respond rapidly to market
changes by quickly changing pricing or other advertising information in
their service to customers.
These and other objects will become more apparent to the person skilled in
the art, especially an experienced merchandiser, from the following
description, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is an elevational view of an exemplary menu board illustrating the
plural channel dividers and channels so formed according to the present
invention.
FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the menu board of FIG. 1A showing a
graphics display received on a plurality of the channels of the menu
board.
FIG. 1C illustrates the use of an extruded channel filler block within the
channels of the menu board of FIG. 1A.
FIG. 1D illustrates the manner in which the extruded channel filler blocks
of FIG. 1C may be used with graphics displays within the channels of the
menu board of FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the menu board of FIG. 1.
FIGS. 3A and 3B, respectively, are enlarged, partial end elevational views
of the top and bottom edges A and B, respectively of the menu board of
FIGS. 1A and 2.
FIG. 3C is an enlarged, partial end elevational view of one of the channel
dividers C of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first embodiment for a display insert
slidably receivable in a channel of the menu board of FIG. 1A.
FIG. 5 is a partial, vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a second
embodiment for a display insert slidably receivable in a channel of the
menu board of FIG. 1, further showing the mounting of a large graphics
panel to plural, aligned inserts of the second embodiment of the
invention.
FIGS. 6A and 6B, respectively, are front and rear perspective views of a
third embodiment for a display insert slidably receivable in a channel of
the menu board of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6C is a transverse cross-sectional view taken through the insert of
FIG. 6A.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a suitable indicia bearing panel, or number set,
such as may be printed on paper or a plastic material, where the panel may
be folded in an accordion-like fashion to expose a selected indicia, for
use with the inserts of FIGS. 4, 6A and 6B.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention is directed to a menu board, such as may be used in a
retail establishment for advertising sales and services, where the menu
board offers a convenient system for the advertising, but which may be
easily and quickly changed to meet marketing shifts. Referring now to the
drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout
the several views, FIGS. 1A, 2 and 3A through 3C show a preferred
embodiment for the menu board of the invention.
The menu board, 10 as illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 2, comprises a planar
back panel 12, defined by spaced top and bottom edges 14, 16,
respectively, and a series of spaced-apart, horizontal flanges 18 (FIG. 2)
which define plural elongate channels 21 between adjacent ones of the
flanges. The top and bottom edges 14, 16 of the back panel, as best
illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, are configured to be interlocking in order
to join at least a pair of the menu boards together, while presenting a
flat, continuous inner face. The plural horizontal flanges 18 are
essentially T-shaped members having a first leg 22 perpendicular to the
inner face 20, and a pair of opposed legs 24, 26, extending perpendicular
to the first leg 22 and spaced from the inner face 20 to define the
respective channels 21. For reasons to become apparent, hereinafter, the
respective upper opposed leg 24 is longer than the lower opposed leg 26.
In a preferred embodiment, the leg 26 is less than 50% of leg 24, more
precisely about 44%. The length of leg 24.
As an ancillary feature of the present invention, illustrated in FIG. 5,
the exposed top and bottom edges 14, 16 may be dressed by the provision of
a facia or trim member 28, having a longitudinal slot 29, for sliding
engagement onto a respective one of the edges 14, 16. To retain the edges
within member 28, a pin 30, engaging the inner wall 32 thereof, may be
provided. Although member 28 is shown here as a generally cylindrical,
hollow member, the facia member may be of any desired configuration so
long as it is constructed for attachment to edges 14, 16, as described.
As shown in FIGS. 1B-1C, the menu board 10 of this invention may be used
with extruded filler blocks or inserts 52 sized and shaped to be received
within a respective one of the channels 21, and extend at least partially
along the length thereof, as desired. This is best shown in FIGS. 1C and
1D. Moreover, the exterior, i.e. the outwardly facing surface, of the
filler extrusion block may contain a graphics display thereon, as shown in
FIG. 1D, which may be either adhered thereto, for example by a
double-sided adhesive tape, or may be directly printed onto the insert. So
constructed, however, the filler blocks shown in FIGS. 1B-1D are slid into
the channels through the ends of the channels, or may be passed upwardly
beneath leg 24, and then passed over an adjacent and downwardly spaced leg
26, prior to being received within a respective one of the channels 21 of
the menu board as are the embodiments of the modular display inserts
disclosed herein.
As also shown in FIG. 1B, a series of filler extrusions can be passed into
at least two of the channels, and an enlarged graphics display 62, here a
planar display, constructed of either paper or plastic, for example, and
having a graphics display on its outwardly facing surface, can be fastened
to the filler blocks, again using double-sided adhesive tape. So
constructed, the menu board and the filler extrusion blocks provide a
system which is simple and easy to use, easy to construct, and which is
relatively flexible. Still greater flexibility, however, of the invention,
is disclosed in FIGS. 4-7, discussed in greater detail below.
The filler blocks 52 are also shown in FIG. 5. Filler block 52 comprises a
T-shaped, or double "T", member having a front panel 54, which in the
operative position, lies adjacent the respective inside faces 56, 58,
respectively of opposed legs 24, 26. Extending perpendicular to and
rearwardly of front panel 54, are a pair of spaced-apart legs 60. Such
legs, maintain the spatial relationship of the second insert 52 to the
channel 21, and space the front panel 54 from the inner face 20 of the
back panel 12 of the menu board. Also, as illustrated in FIG. 1B and FIG.
5, plural inserts 52 may be vertically positioned to receive the large
single graphic display panel, 62, also see FIG. 1A, where such a panel 62
may be mounted on the inserts 52 by VELCRO.RTM.-type hook and loop
fastening members, or by double-sided adhesive tape 64 as shown.
A unique feature of this invention is the provision of plural display
inserts for sliding engagement into a respective channel 21, where said
inserts may be readily lifted and removed from the channels without
interfering with an adjacent insert. Accordingly, a first embodiment for
such an insert 34 according to this invention is illustrated in FIG. 4.
Insert 34 comprises a rear planar panel 36 vertically dimensioned to be
slightly less than the distance between the opposing edges 38, 40 (FIG.
3C) of opposed legs 24, 26. Thus, by this arrangement, the insert 34 may
be lifted within the channel 21 which frees the lower edge 42 from the leg
26 to thereby allow removal of the insert 34 from the channel 21.
Extending from the rear planar panel 36 are plural, vertically oriented
T-shaped dividers 44, spaced from the upper and lower edges 46, 42 of the
panel 36. The respective channels 50, formed by adjacent dividers 44, are
adapted to receive indicia bearing panels, as described later.
A second embodiment for a slidable insert 66 is illustrated in FIGS. 6A
through 6C. As best seen in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the third insert 66 comprises
a housing having top member, a bottom member, and side walls 68, 70, 72,
respectively, sized for sliding engagement within a channel 21. Disposed
between said side walls 72, and extending vertically between the top and
bottom walls 68, 70, are plural T-shaped dividers 74, where the respective
caps or flanges 76 thereof define a front face for the dividers 74.
Further, the lateral extensions 78 (FIG. 6C) of the caps 76 function to
define front retention members for securing an indicia bearing panel
therewithin, as later described. Cooperating with said front retention
members are a pair of opposed, vertically extending flanges 80, 82,
projecting respectively from the top and bottom members 68, 70, see FIGS.
6B and 6C. As noted above, and as is true for all inserts, the second
insert 66 is vertically dimensioned for sliding receipt within the channel
20, but which can also be lifted therewithin and removed without
interfering with an adjacent insert, as can insert 34 shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 7 illustrates a typical indicia bearing panel 84 which may be folded
along selected pre-scored lines 86 between panel segments 88 to expose a
selected panel segment. Once the selected panel segment 88 is exposed on
the fully folded panel 84, it may be inserted into the opening 90 of the
third insert 66, or between dividers 44 of the first embodiment 34.
Indicia bearing panel 84 may be constructed of a paper or paperboard-type
material, or more preferably of a thin plastic material which can be
folded along lines 86 into an accordion configuration. Thus, it is
anticipated that indicia bearing panel 84 would be constructed of
polyethylene, and similar plastics which can be bent, yet which will not
break along lines 86.
It is anticipated that menu board 10, in its various embodiments as
illustrated in FIGS. 1-7, will be fabricated of a plastic material which
offers the features of relatively low cost, and which can be either
extruded or injection molded in a variety of colors, and offers light
weight yet possesses structural rigidity once constructed. For example,
back panel 12 of menu board 10 may be extruded, whereas the embodiments of
the inserts shown in FIGS. 4 and 6A-6C, may be injection molded. Menu
board 10 can be constructed of any of the known family of plastics
suitable for use in extrusion, and/or injection molding, to include
polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, polystyrene, and polycarbonate plastics.
Also, it is anticipated that the user could use channel filler blocks 52,
and either, or both, of inserts 34, 66 of this invention in combination on
back panel 12 of the menu board at the same time for a level of display
flexibility heretofore unknown in the art.
While several embodiments of the invention have been described above,
particularly as to the various filler blocks and inserts that may be
utilized in the menu board of this invention, it is recognized that
variations may be had with respect to the several embodiments of the
invention for a quick change menu board in accordance with this invention.
Therefore, while the invention has been disclosed in preferred forms only,
it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many additions,
deletions and modifications can be made therein without departing from the
spirit and scope of this invention, and that no undue limits should be
imposed thereon except as set forth in the following claims. Moreover, the
corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or
step plus function elements in the claims are intended to include any
structure, material, or act for performing the functions in combination
with other claimed elements, as specifically claimed herein.
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